Turkey > The Kurdish capital Diyarbakir

My travel destination for today is Diyarbakir, a journey of just 150 kilometers. Diyarbakir is a city of 800,000 inhabitants, mostly of Kurdish descent. For this reason, it is unofficially referred to as the Kurdish capital. The old city center is completely surrounded by a six-kilometer-long defensive wall. My hotel is located just inside the city wall. I arrive in Diyarbakir around eleven o’clock and put my luggage in my hotel room. Since I am traveling onward to Van tomorrow, I make good use of the afternoon to explore Diyarbakir. I visit the Nebi Camii mosque. The mosque is built from alternating layers of white and black stone, a style characteristic of Diyarbakir.

Turkey - The restored caravanserai in Diyarbakir

I ask an elderly man if I may enter, and he nods approvingly. The small mosque has a beautiful, historic feel. Outside again, I follow the route along the city wall to the citadel. Just past the entrance gate, I climb onto the wall. From the ten-meter-high city wall, I have a view over the citadel and the old city. I see children playing in a pool at the base of the wall. They gesture for me to take a photo as they jump into the water. Many houses inside the city wall are damaged or being demolished. I wonder whether the damage is from an earthquake or part of urban renewal. As I walk along the wall, it starts to drizzle. I also hear distant thunder. Soon it is raining heavily, so I quickly return to the city gate to take shelter. The layout of Diyarbakir is actually very simple: a walled center with an access gate in each cardinal direction. Two main roads run from east to west and north to south. At the intersection of these roads, I turn left toward the Behram Pasa Mosque. Unfortunately, the mosque is covered in scaffolding. Through the narrow streets of the bazaar, I reach the Hasan Pasa Hani caravanserai—a cozy, restored caravanserai with many carpet sellers and eateries.

Turkey - The cosy bazaar of Diyarbakir in Eastern Turkey

On the first floor, I order a mixed lunch. While looking over the courtyard, the table is quickly filled with all sorts of dishes: cheeses, honey, yogurt, sauces, appetizers, salads, and fruit—too many to name, and certainly too many to eat. After lunch, I search for the Keldani Church. Just before reaching this Christian church, I pass the four-legged minaret of the Seyh Mutahhar Mosque. This minaret stands on four small pillars, each two meters high. I walk under the minaret to the mosque. The interior is simple but very atmospheric. Outside again, a group of Turkish youth passes by. They want to take a photo with me. Of course, I agree, though I’m a little surprised. They head down the same side street. The church entrance is closed. I had already given up hope, but they knock on the door. It opens, and together we visit the church. It turns out this is not the Keldani Church—it is just in front of it. I walk around the corner to the Keldani Church. The gate is closed here too, but I use the door knocker and am let inside. The Keldani is a cozy Roman Catholic church. The final church I visit is the Maryem Ana Kilisesi (Holy Mary Church), a Syrian Orthodox church in the southwest of the old city. The caretaker, Josef, lets me in. In the church, he tells me that the displayed Quran was printed in the Netherlands. He recites a passage from the holy book. As a special treat, he opens the door to the adjacent Jacob Church, which contains three old altars. For a small donation, Josef insists on offering me a cup of tea. I drink my tea under the pavilion in the church garden. To conclude my tour of Diyarbakir, I walk along a restored section of the city wall. I descend at the south gate, where the caravanserai hotel is located. In the hotel courtyard, I order a delicious beer and watch the day go by. This is one of the few places in Diyarbakir where alcohol is available and likely the last beer I’ll have for the next three weeks, as alcohol is not permitted in Iran.